Private Project

In a Lion’s Clothes

The documentary gives an impression of simb lion dance performances in Dakar, Senegal, and introduces a young generation of simb performers. We encounter the lion dancers in the streets near the performance space where musicians are already performing songs accompanied by the sabar drums. Especially children are eager to see the show but if you sneak in without buying a ticket, you will be punished by the lions. The performance climaxes with the dances of the lions and their companions. While following these events, we hear interviews of performers who share their knowledge and experiences of the simb tradition.

  • Elina Seye
    Director
  • Karoliina Halsti Ndiaye
    Director
  • Elina Seye
    Producer
  • Karoliina Halsti Ndiaye
    Producer
  • Project Type:
    Documentary
  • Runtime:
    30 minutes 20 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    August 27, 2022
  • Production Budget:
    15,000 EUR
  • Country of Origin:
    Finland
  • Country of Filming:
    Senegal
  • Language:
    Wolof
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    Yes
  • Student Project:
    No
  • ICTM World Conference
    Lisbon
    Portugal
    July 22, 2022
    Preliminary version
  • Etnosoi! festival
    Helsinki
    Finland
    November 13, 2022
    Finnish Premiere
Director Biography - Elina Seye, Karoliina Halsti Ndiaye

Elina Seye is a researcher affiliated with the University of Helsinki, Finland. She has a PhD in ethnomusicology from the University of Tampere. Her doctoral thesis, Performing a Tradition in Music and Dance (2014) focuses on interactions in Senegalese sabar dance events, and her current research analyses the varying embodiments of the sabar tradition in different performance contexts. She has also conducted research on African music and musicians in Finland. She serves currently as the chairperson of the Finnish Society for Ethnomusicology.

Karoliina Halsti-Ndiaye is designer and dancer. She has a Master’s degree from Aalto University, School of Art and Design. Apart from working as a textile designer, she has conducted various projects in the field of visual arts, using mostly printed fabric and painting as techniques. She also works as a dancer and dance teacher with a focus on the Senegalese sabar dances. She has studied traditional West African dances during her many stays in Dakar, Senegal, where she has also been performing as a member of the local dance company Waato Siita.

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